Acer, one of the largest makers of personal computers in the world, officially said that it had no plans to release a netbook based on Google Chrome operating system (OS) in the short-term future. However, unofficial sources indicate that instead of releasing a Chrome-based PC in a clamshell form-factor, Acer teamed up with Quanta for a tablet PC featuring Chrome OS.

Acer decided not to equip its slate personal computer with central processing unit (CPU) from Intel Corp., reports China Economic News Service, which rather clearly indicates that the PC giant decided to utilize a microprocessor based on ARM architecture instead. The ARM chip will ensure that the device will feature a long battery life, however, it will not run Windows operating system and other software developed for x86 PCs.

Actual specifications of the tablet from Acer are unknown, but it is reported that the ARM and Chrome-based tablet PC will cost around NT$10 000 ($310 or €248), which is below the price of modern entry-level netbooks.

The tablet PC from Acer will have to compete not only against Apple iPad, but also against the approaching Asustek Computer’s Eee Pad, Samsung Electronics’ S Pad and other products of the kind. Since the prices of the slates do not seem to be truly low, customers will pay a lot of attention on services provided by manufacturers of such devices, e.g., content delivery mechanisms and so on. In case of Acer, the actual platform owner will be Google, which partners with various distributors of content.

Acer and Quanta did not comment on the news-story.

Tags: Acer, Google, Chrome, Quanta